---
title: "Working with SmartArt Cold Rendering"
---

```
*Purpose Summary. What is this page about?*

This page explains Aspose.Words for Python via .NET’s SmartArt Cold Rendering feature, how to invoke it (including the `update_smart_art_drawing` method), lists the supported SmartArt layouts, and provides visual comparisons with Microsoft Word rendering.
```

SmartArt graphics are used to quickly and easily create a visual representation of information. You simply choose from a large number of layouts that best suits your situation. This ease of use makes SmartArt graphics quite popular for some purposes.

Microsoft Word generates and saves the pre-rendered drawing along with the `SmartArt` object. In most cases, the pre-rendered drawing is rendered well by Aspose.Words and no additional actions are required. However, if the document is saved by other applications, the pre-rendered SmartArt drawing may be missing or incorrect. In this case, the `SmartArt` object itself should be laid-out and rendered using Aspose.Words. We call this process the `SmartArt` Cold Rendering.

## Using SmartArt Cold Rendering

Aspose.Words allows you to use a pre-rendered drawing or perform cold rendering:

* If a pre-rendered drawing is available, Aspose.Words uses it to render the `SmartArt` object.
* If pre-rendered drawing is missing, Aspose.Words implicitly performs cold rendering to render the `SmartArt` object.
* If a pre-rendered drawing is present but is incorrect, it is required to perform SmartArt cold rendering explicitly by calling [update_smart_art_drawing](https://reference.aspose.com/words/python-net/aspose.words.drawing/shape/update_smart_art_drawing/) method.

The following code example shows how to update drawings for all diagrams in the document:

**.NET**
{{< gist "aspose-words-gists" "e9d8f984dac599756ccb4a64b8c79768" "Examples-DocsExamples-DocsExamples-Programming with Documents-Working with Graphic Elements-working_with_shapes-UpdateSmartArtDrawing.py" >}}

## Support for Standard SmartArt Layouts

Currently, only a limited number of standard Microsoft Word SmartArt layouts are supported. Also, some of these layouts are supported partially, meaning that significant nodes and shapes of the diagram are rendered, but there may be differences between the Microsoft Word and Aspose.Words diagram layout.

The table below lists the fully and partially supported layouts:

| SmartArt Layouts Group | Fully supported layouts                                      | Partially supported layouts                                  |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `List` | Basic Block ListAlternating HexagonsVertical Bullet ListVertical Box ListVarying Width ListHorizontal Bullet ListGrouped ListVertical Block ListVertical Chevron ListVertical Arrow ListTrapezoid ListTable ListPyramid ListTarget List | Lined ListVertical Bracket ListTab ListStacked ListVertical Accent ListVertical Circle List |
| `Process` | Basic ProcessAccent ProcessContinuous Block ProcessIncreasing Arrow ProcessConverging TextBasic TimelineBasic Chevron ProcessChevron Accent ProcessClosed Chevron ProcessChevron ListVertical ProcessStaggered ProcessProcess ListBasic Bending ProcessRepeating Bending ProcessDetailed ProcessUpward ArrowDescending ProcessCircular Bending Process | Step Up ProcessStep Down ProcessAlternating FlowIncreasing Circle ProcessPie ProcessInterconnected Block ProcessProcess ArrowsCircle Accent TimelineCircle ProcessSub Step ProcessPhased ProcessRandom to Result ProcessCircle Arrow Process |
| `Cycle` | -                                                            | Segmented CycleHexagon Radial     |
| `Hierarchy` | -                                                            | Table HierarchyArchitecture Layout |
| `Relationship` | BalanceFunnelGearPlus And MinusArrow RibbonCounterbalance ArrowsOpposing ArrowsNested TargetBasic TargetBasic PieBasic VennStacked VennInterconnected Ring | Circle RelationshipOpposing IdeasEquationVertical EquationLinear Venn |
| `Matrix` | Basic MatrixTitled MatrixGrid MatrixCycle Matrix | -                                                            |
| `Pyramid` | -                                                            | Segmented Pyramid                          |

## Comparison of SmartArt Rendering in Aspose.Words and Microsoft

The table below shows example pictures of Aspose.Words Cold Rendering of some standard layouts compared to Microsoft Word output:

|                               | **Aspose.Words**                                             | **Microsoft Word**                                           |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Basic Process**             | ![basic_process_aspose](basic-process-aspose.png) | ![basic_process_word](basic-process-word.png) |
| **Circular Bending Process**  | ![circular_bending_process_aspose](circular-bending-process-aspose.png) | ![circular_bending_process_word](circular-bending-process-word.png) |
| **Repeating Bending Process** | ![repearing_bending_process_aspose](repearing-bending-process-aspose.png) | ![repearing_bending_process_word](repearing-bending-process-word.png) |
| **Trapezoid List**            | ![trapezoid_list_aspose](trapezoid-list-aspose.png) | ![trapezoid_list_word](trapezoid-list-word.png) |